Engulfed
by Tifa Tyndal
Summary: Engulf: To flow over and enclose, to overwhelm. The world must be rid of the jewel at any cost. But who decides that cost?


**Engulfed**

**A One-Shot by Tifa Tyndal**

**Summery: **Engulf: To flow over and enclose. To overwhelm. The world must be ridded of the jewel; at any cost.

**Disclaimer:** I seem to be running out of witty disclaimers... how many ways can I say "I don't own Inuyasha" before people believe me?

**Spoiler Warning:** Well... spoilers for Kikyo's death... though I think that it's in the first episode.

**Author's Note:** Well, here is my try at angst. Honestly, it hurt to write. If you don't like angst and/or tragedy this might not be for you. Read at your own risk of being really, really sad. (By the way, make sure to read the author's note at the end. I'm not saying it here for fear of ruining the story for ya.)

-

Kagome sighed happily as the last traces of Naraku faded from the world. He was gone, for good. Nevertheless, like a storm he left more behind then he brought.

Koga had given up his shards at Kagome's request and sworn to return for her as soon as he re-gathered his tribe. The wolf tribe had fought valiantly and were now rather injured and spread out.

Kohaku had given up his shard early enough and Sesshomaru had revived him with a swooping flourish and a 'I don't really care' look.

All was just wonderful.

Or so she thought.

Kagome beamed happily as she gently replaced the last shard of the jewel. The jewel became suddenly whole and purified with her touch. She looked up at her friends with shining eyes and smiled. Oddly, they didn't smile back.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked her brow wrinkling slightly. They were all simply standing around looking like they had just lost something important. It was as though now that the jewel was complete they were even more troubled and forlorn.

"The jewel is still very dangerous," Miroku finally broke their silence.

"So...?" Kagome was even more confused. "We can still protect it can't we? I mean... we defeated Naraku! Anyone else should be easy!"

"But, Kagome. We can't spend all our lives protecting the jewel," Sango put in her own seeds of doubt. "I'm going to marry Miroku and we're gonna go rebuild the demonslayer village with Kohaku. We're not going to be around to help."

Kagome blinked. She hadn't quite thought of that. "Nevermind, I'll take care of the jewel.. and Inuyasha."

"I don't think..." Inuyasha turned away slightly, his ears drooping. "I don't know."

"What do you mean?" Kagome's voice almost broke. Why wasn't anyone happy?

"Forget about them!" Shippo chimed glaring at everyone else. "You and me can take care of any demon that dares oppose us!" He jumped in Kagome's arms and hugged her tightly. "Don't listen to them!"

Kagome smiled at the small kitsune. He was like the sun breaking out on a rainy day.

Miroku, Sango, and Inuyasha lowered their eyes, avoiding her gaze.

Kagome was determined not to let her friends sour mood get her down so she tried to talk lightly and brightly, "Let's make camp here and set out for Kaede's tomorrow. Alright?" She suggested hopefully.

A few nods and they began to set up camp.

"Would you like some ramen, Inuyasha?" Kagome finally asked once they had started a fire and water was boiling.

Inuyasha shrugged and accepted the bowl.

Kagome backed up a bit at his unenthusiastic response but nonetheless acted normal. "I'm gonna go to the river and take a bath. Wanna come, Sango?" She slung her backpack over her shoulder as she prepared to leave.

Sango shook her head and stared down at her own soup.

Kagome sighed a little at how strange things were but reasoning it away with the fact that they were tired went on the bathe by herself.

The water felt nice to her worn body. The trees littering the bank provided cool shade that Kagome eagerly accepted. So, relaxing finally into its wetness she soaked for a long time. After, Kagome dried off, dressed and began back to camp.

It was beginning to get dark and all Kagome needed to do was walk towards the light of the fire and soon enough she would end up at her destination. However, her friend's voices stopped her long before she reached the camp.

"What are we going to do, Inuyasha?" Miroku's deep voice asked.

"What should I know? I've never had to choose, ya know." Inuyasha's voice was almost inaudible to Kagome. She had to shift slightly to hear.

"Everyone knows what can be done, correct?" Sango's voice was firm.

"What are you people talking about!" This was Shippo's voice. "Everything's fine now! We got the jewel! We can wish it out of existence!"

"But would it still, truly, be gone?" Sango reasoned. "We must get rid of it. We must rid it from our time of demons."

Kagome almost gasped. Were they thinking of sending her home?

Inuyasha's voice broke her thoughts, "We can't do this to Kagome. You all know we can't."

"We must," Miroku's voice was determine and low.

"Will it really work?" Kohaku's voice was confused.

"It worked with Kikyo, it must work with Kagome," Miroku said.

_Worked with Kikyo?_ Now Kagome was really confused. _How did Kikyo get rid of it? From what I know it was burned with her... but they couldn't be thinking of that._

"What are you talking about?" Shippo almost screamed. "Before, the jewel was burned with Kikyo! We can't burn Kagome! She's not dead!" He seemed to read Kagome's thoughts.

Sango's quiet voice stilled the kitsune, "Oh, Shippo. It's gonna be hard on all of us. But she'll understand. I'm sure she will."

_They're not actually thinking of-_ Kagome began to panic. _NO!_She began to run back towards the river. She wasn't even going to ask for an explanation. There was NO way she was going to agree or understand.

_Where can I go?_ Kagome's heart was racing a mile a minute. _I know! I'll go to Koga and the wolf tribe! I'm sure he'll protect me!_

As Kagome ran gravity itself seemed to work against her as a root in her path caused her to trip. As the hard ground seemed to rush up to meet her Kagome heard leaves rustling behind her. She had never been so scared of her friends before. No, scratch that, she'd never been so scared in her life.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha was yelling her name. Normally she would've been happy and even relieved to hear him call her but not that time. Right then all she wanted was him to go away... far, far away and never look at her again.

Kagome tried to scramble to her feet but suddenly a strong hand began pushing down on her and she slipped on the soft grass.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice was worried as he hovered over her.

Kagome only looked up at him, frightened.

A tiny pang of guilt prodded at Inuyasha's heart. She was looking at him with such fear in his eyes, more fear than he'd ever seen her show. The smell of fear was so strong on her it was nauseating. "Kagome... Did you hear?"

Kagome's panicked eyes and frantic struggling answered his question for him.

"I'm sorry, Kagome," Inuyasha whispered as moved his right arm around so that he was pinning her to the ground. "It's the only way."

"No it's not!" Kagome tried to scream but all that came out was a squeak.

"Please don't hate me," Inuyasha's eyes held sadness.

Kagome's eyes filled with tears. No, she would never be able to fulfill his request. "Sango? Miroku?" She squeaked.

"We're here, Kagome," Miroku and Sango appeared at her side. "We'll be with you the entire time."

"NO!" Kagome yelled. "NO!" Suddenly an idea struck her. "SIT, Inuyasha, SIT!" Nothing happened. Nothing. Kagome gasped.

"KAGOME!" Out of nowhere Shippo came flying to her. "I tried to stop them! I tried!" He wept into her shirt.

Kagome's heart felt as if it was being torn into tiny pieces. Pieces that would never become part of the whole again. "But you were all my... friends." She managed out.

"We still are," Sango's voice almost broke, almost. "But if fewer lives can be sacrificed we must take that path."

Kagome began to struggle violently. "I won't let you! I won't!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "I won't do it! I don't agree! Do anything but it! Please!"

The last thing she remembered was Miroku shaking his head, a frown gracing his face, and then everything went black.

-

When she awoke Kagome found herself tied to a stake and surrounded by wood. It looked like a witch burning! Sticks and clumps of all different sizes protruded up around her insuring that the second that they were aflame she would be also.

Looking beyond the wood, she saw Shippo weeping into Sango's kimono muttering something over and over again that sounding a lot like "I'm sorry."

Miroku was building a fire off to the side no doubt to set the large clump of firewood at her feet aflame.

Inuyasha was solemnly standing off to the side. His face, unreadable.

Kagome simply felt numb. Completely numb. She was upset, disappointed, angry, and furious at her ex-friends but she was numb. She felt no pain. No fear of dying. She felt like she was already dead.

Glancing down she saw the jewel securely fastened around her neck. _Apparently they're taking no chances. My friends really are going to kill me._ Kagome wished that she hadn't thought that last thought because a new kind of panic came over her. They were really going to burn her like Kikyo was burned in hoped of ridding the world of the jewel.

She found herself wishing for a voice of reason. Sesshomaru, Koga, Hojo, Kaede, her family, ANYONE! For the first time she wished that Naraku was there to distract them. _Yes,_ She decided. _It's come to this._

Suddenly out of the corner of her eye, Kagome saw Inuyasha's ears prick up. Something was coming.

Before she even knew it Koga was there, looking confused and very, very angry. "Kagome!" He sped to her.

"Koga," Kagome had never been so glad to see the wolf. At that point she almost felt she loved him.

"What's going on?" Koga demanded.

Kagome tried to answer but Inuyasha interrupted her.

"It has to be done," Inuyasha's said emotionlessly. "It's the only way to get rid of the jewel."

Koga's voice got dangerously low. "I never thought you'd stoop this low you half-breed mutt. It's true, your kind are worthless and heartless."

Kagome couldn't of agreed more yet the 'kind' she was thinking of wasn't hanyous.

"After telling everyone so many times that you'd protect her! You said that you could protect her! And now you're trying to kill her," Koga quickly cut Kagome's rope with his claws in one long sweep and went after Inuyasha furiously. "All those demons you killed claiming to protect her, you're worse than all of them! I was right. You can't protect her. You are nothing but a bloody murderer, just like Naraku."

The fight that followed was a flurry of movement that Kagome missed most of because she was trying to get down off the wood while Miroku and Sango struggled to keep her from doing such. Yet, before Kagome could even put up a proper fight a familiar yell of 'Wind Scar!' echoed through the woods. Koga lay in its wake, seemingly dead or at least unconscious.

Kagome was devastated. There lay her last hope. Her only hope. She barely noticed when she was tied to the stake again, this time with Inuyasha's firerat robe. She hardly caught the tear that slid down Inuyasha's face or the shallow breaths he was taking.

But when Miroku lifted a torch and lit the fire Kagome still squirmed with all her might.

Through the flames she saw them; Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, all of them. They were all there, letting it happen. Killing her. The onslaught of emotions engulfed her just as much as the flames did. Nevertheless it was a mixture of the two that caused her to cry out in agony.

Kagome's scream ripped through her, its' eerie tones reverberating throughout the woods. It was a scream that spoke of ultimate suffering, of tasting death. It carried with it and awoke in each who heard it the primal knowledge of their own mortality, and the baseness and cruelty that dwelt deep within each man's heart, to inflict such agony. It shrieked with heartache, with loss, with sorrow and knowing that all beauty in the world was lost to you, for the darkness was there, and had poisoned you, and you would never be happy again.

-

Kagome woke up screaming.

-

**THE END**

**-**

There ya go. My first angst fanfiction. The scream paragraph was graciously written by my sister who decided that I wasn't quite depressing enough. Many thanks to her for her wonderful writing. :) -**The Author**


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